There’s no better place to start…
A 290-hectare commercial forest, known as Greencroft Forest Park, is planned, encompassing approximately 600,000 trees across an area equivalent to 185 football pitches[i].
Up to 65% of the plantation will consist of Sitka spruce which is equivalent to 390,000 trees / 188.5 hectares / 120 football pitches.
The forest will cover almost the entire hillside between Lanchester, Maiden Law and Greencroft.
(images from https://www.greencroftforestpark.co.uk/the-woodland-creation-process/)
The maximum allowed of a single species is 65% and so 65% of the forest will be Sitka Spruce -a non-native, fast-growing conifer introduced to the UK from the Pacific Northwest of North America[i], primarily for timber.
“Sitka spruce plantations create ‘monocultures’: land that is characterised by the absence rather than the abundance of its diversity. In addition to blocking light from the forest floor which means nothing grows, they change the natural composition of the soils and acidify nearby watercourses.” John Muir Trust
The site, which covers virtually the entire hillside between Lanchester and Greencroft, will be prepared in summer 2025 ahead of tree planting which will start the same winter[i]. According to the Forestry Commission, creating new woodland involves “ploughing, ripping, scarifying and mounding[i].
Timber Production:
- The first timber yield is anticipated in 2045, with an estimated 110,000 tonnes of timber produced in the initial rotation[i]
- This first rotation alone could see over 5,700 timber lorries on our local roads[ii] notably the A6076, A693 and A691 which also serves as the access route to St Bede’s School
Environmental Concerns
While Sitka spruce is Britain’s most widely planted productive conifer, it is known to create monocultures that support less biodiversity compared to native woodlands[iii]
Environmental Concerns of Monocultures
The Soil Association’s report on regenerative forestry notes that while high-yielding species like Sitka spruce can sequester more carbon, monocultures pose risks to biodiversity and may not provide the same ecosystem services as mixed-species forests, including effective water management[iv]. Soil Association
Soil Compaction and Reduced Infiltration increasing surface runoff and potentially exacerbating flood risks. cdn.forestresearch.gov.uk
Impact on Soil and Water Chemistry can affect the soil’s capacity to manage water effectively, influencing flood dynamics. Nora
Environmental Concerns:
Monoculture plantations like Sitka spruce can alter soil composition and acidify nearby watercourses, impacting local ecosystems[v].
[i] https://timbertransportforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Timber-Transport-Forum-Road-Haulage-of-Round-Timber-5-Ed-Digital.pdf
[ii] 8-Wheeler Rigid Lorry: Typically carries around 19 tonnes of timber[ii] = 5,789 trucks per 110,000 tonnes
Articulated Lorry (Artic): Can carry approximately 27 tonnes of timber[ii] = 4,074 trucks per 110,000 tonnes
44-Tonne Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) Articulated Lorry: Under UK regulations, such lorries can have a payload of up to 28 tonnes[ii] = 3,928 trucks per 110,000 tonnes
[iii] Forest Research.
[iv] https://www.soilassociation.org/media/23550/regenerative-forestry-evidence-2022.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[v] John Muir Trust